A Guide to the Anna Bannana Collection M 385
A Collection in Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library M 385
VCU James Branch Cabell Library
Special Collections and Archives 901 Park AvenueRichmond, Virginia 23284
Business Number: (804) 828-1108
libjbcsca@vcu.edu
URL: https://www.library.vcu.edu/research-teaching/special-collections-and-archives/locations/#cabell
Leila Prasertwaitaya
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection open for research.
Ownership and Custodial History
The Anna Banana Collection was compiled by a former VCU Special Collections and Archives intern, Rebecca Dobyns, in 2004. The stamps in the collection are also a gift sent directly from Anna Banana.The papers were collected by Dobyns as part of a book art project called To and From: Davi Det Hompson Correspondents. Her research was included in her master's thesis entitled "The Postcard Art Project."
Preferred Citation
Anna Banana Collection, Collection Number M 385, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Rebecca Dobyns.
Biographical / Historical
Anna Banana (b. 1940), formerly Anne Lee Long, is a visual and performance artist from Canada. Since the 1970s, she has been a major contributor and innovator of mail art. For over 30 years, she has been part of the International Mail Art Network (IMAN), an art exchange program that involves artists from all over the world. She has also published extensively on art related topics, including a newsletter called Banana Rag (1971-1991), which she converted into Artistamp News (1991-1996). In addition to her work with mail art, Anna Banana is also a performance artist. Her stage performances have included Dada and Futurist scripts as well as conceptual performances.
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of one box of thirty-one folders, which contains Anna Banana's extensive curriculum vitae, bibliographic materials, stamp designs from 1988-2002, selected newsletters from Banana Rag and Artistamp News, as well as reviews from various artists.
Arrangement
The collection has been divided into three groups: artist's bibliographic materials, newsletters, and published articles on Anna Banana.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Artists -- Archives -- Canada
- Banana, Anna, 1940-
- Mail art.
Container List
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:1
Back Issues of Mail Art Publications Still Available from Banana Productionsn.d.
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:2
Curriculum VitaeOctober 2003
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:3
Miscellaneous Advertisements1994-2003
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:4
Selected Bibliographyn.d.
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:5
Stamp Collection1988-2002
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:6
Transportable, Berlin Exhibition BrochureApril 13-May 11, 2003
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:7
To and From: Devi Det Hompson Correspondents, taken from Special Collections and Archives websiteJuly 30, 2007
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:8
Artistamp News, Vol. 3, no. 1-2February 1993
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:9
Artistamp News, Vol. 4, no. 2October 1994
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:10
Artistamp News, Vol. 5, no. 1June 1995
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:11
Artistamp News, Vol. 6, no. 1February 1996
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:12
Banana Rag, No. 19January 1987
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:13
Banana Rag, No. 20April 1987
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:14
Banana Rag, No. 21September 1987
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:15
Banana Rag, No. 22March 1988
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:16
Banana Rag, No. 23August 1988
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:17
Banana Rag, No. 24December 1988
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:18
Banana Rag, No. 25May 1989
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:19
Banana Rag, No. 26October 1989
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:20
Banana Rag, No. 27February 1990
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:21
Banana Rag, No. 31June 2003
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:22
Banana Rag, No. 32July 2004
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:23
"The Banana Olympics" in San Francisco Bay Guardian1975
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:24
Rubberstampmadness, Vol. II no. 51May/June 1990
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:25
"She's Going Bananas Over Private Stamps" in British Columbia Talks Business, Vol. 3, no. 11990
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:26
"It's Not So Easy Being Yellow," in The Globe and MailAugust 20, 1998
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:27
"Special Delivery Brings Mail Art" in The Georgia StraightOctober/November 1999
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:28
National PostApril 25, 2000
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:29
"Banana Art" in Times ColonistOctober 7, 2000
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:30
"Mail Art and Postal Art; the Difference in the Intention," by Anna BananaMarch 2002
- Mixed Materials Box-folder: 1:31
"Anna Banana Visits York House!" in The BlackwatchNovember 2003